Prayagraj, June 11 -- The Allahabad High Court has upheld the conviction of a man in a rape case dating back to 1985 in Uttar Pradesh's Bareilly district while reducing his eight-year prison sentence to the period already undergone, noting that he has spent approximately seven years in jail.

Justice Tej Pratap Tiwari passed the order while partly allowing an appeal filed by the accused, Habib, who had challenged his conviction in the case.

According to the prosecution, the incident took place on October 26, 1985, when the nine-year-old victim had gone to a field to pluck mustard leaves. It was alleged that Habib, a fellow villager, forcibly took her near the boundary of the field and raped her.

The prosecution said villagers rushed to ...